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The Barcelona Market Review

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Barcelona Market Guide

Barcelona market

This page is your Barcelona market guide and gives you reviews and pictures of the main markets in Barcelona.

Everybody loves a good market, the sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the thrill of bargaining, the objects you would never usually find, the smell of the freshest food. Luckily for you Barcelona markets offers a good range to please both the experienced and the novice market goer. This article will give you the top Barcelona markets, selling food to art, enough to satisfy anyone's market fever.

Food Markets

Here's another food market, similar to La Boqueria except larger and without all the tourists. Also don't do what I did and go in August as you will find most of the stalls closed. However all the stalls that were still open were doing good trade, and even the small tapas bar in the middle of the market was full of locals having a bite. The stall owners are friendly and helpful, and there is a lovely deli counter just on the left as you go in the main entrance if you want to buy something nice to take home with you.

On Sunday from 08:00 - 15:00 just outside the market there is a book and coin market for all the collectors out there. You will find a tremendous assortment of old books, magazines, comics and postcards.

Probably Barcelona's best-known market, ideally situated on La Rambla this market is a must whether sourcing ingredients for a fine meal or just wandering through. It's an assault on the senses with smells coming from the fish to fruit.

The food sold ranges from ready-made fresh fruit salads for the tired tourist, to literally fresh out of the sea still moving crabs and lobsters (maybe you would also like to look out for the whole sheep's head!?) Not to mention the bright sweet counters that will act like a magnet for any child (or adult).

Fresh fruit at Boqueria market.

Fira Artesana
Plaça del Pi
Barcelona, España.

Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3)
1st Friday and Saturday of every month

This is what is called the honey market, locals producers from the Catalan area all come together monthly to sell their organic wares. Well known for it's homemade cakes and glorious honey infused cheeses.

Art market in Barcelona

Art Markets

A little market composing of Catalan artists and their easels, all under the shadow of the church. There usually aren't more than about 15 artists but they cover every style and medium, from watercolors to oils, depicting market stalls to sweeping landscapes. The artists all welcome a bit of a chat if you are brave enough to test your Spanish.

Artists also set up their easels on the southern part of La Rambla every evening if a portrait or caricature is what you're after.

Flea Markets

Fira de Nautumismo
Plaça Reial
Barcelona, España.

Metro: Liceu, (Green Line, L3)Sundays: 10:00 - 14:30

Not strictly a flea market, this is a collector's heaven with coins and stamps a-plenty.

Amusingly, when the official market closes in the afternoon, and the local police go off for their siesta, the elderly locals from the barrio whip out their belongings to sell.

-At the top of Ave. Portal de l'Angel there is also often either craft stalls which are good for presents, or a small flea market which won't take too much time to just take a look over. Sometimes they have lovely antiques and old jewellery.

One of Barcelona's largest and best loved flea markets, this place is bizarre. All items are sold, old and new, and I mean all items, you get power tools next to antiques next to cosmetics. There is a lot of rubbish (and oddly a lot of "adult" videos and stuff) and some of the vendors just pour all their stuff onto a cloth in front of them so you have to sift through everything. However you do come across some gems, I found an amazing 1920's turban style hat. Saturday is the busiest day so avoid it if you're just a casual browser, and if you're looking for real bargains arrive early. Antique auctions take place at 07:00 , when the commercial buyers are there, and again at 12:00 noon when all the unsold goods drop in price. The furniture in the big hall to the side of the market is incredible and worth a look in.

Bargaining is expected and fun. The market is meant to carry on until the afternoon but most stalls tend to pack up at midday. Also, a lot of the stalls close for August.

As a rule at markets keep your bag close to you, busy, noisy places are always prime places for pickpockets because everyone is being distracted all the time by what's on offer.Read our safety article.

Miscellaneous Markets

This is Barcelona's Christmas fair, with everything you need to get you in a festive mood. It is a traditional Catalan affair, and at weekends can get crowded. Keep your eyes out for the Cagnares, little figurines defecating which the Catalans traditionally, and unbelievably, use in their nativity scenes. Apparently the tradition dates back to the 18th century and the statues are mean to symbolize hope and fertilization of the coming year, the tradition is so strong and loved by the Catalans that even the Catholic church haven't the strength to ban it.

Wake up and smell the roses, this is a lovely flower market, colourful and sweet-smelling it's nice just to pop in and have a look around. Plus if you are a bit of a gardener you are likely to come across some flowers you've never seen before.

If you want to buy some flowers and the market is a bit out of your way don't worry because flower stalls dot Las Ramblas.

Barcelona Markets are just a fun way to shop, and you are likely to be able to find something a bit different either for yourself or for an original present. Also I find markets give you a real sense of where you are, when you hear the vendors shouting in Catalan and the people all haggling, I love it.

This is the list of Barcelona's top markets which I would definitely recommend a visit to a few if you have the chance.